State of the Art is developing a healthcommunication and education campaign-""""""""Arthritis Education Campaign: Pain and Exercise (AEC). AEC will include a 13-part broadcast television series (one season), which will be edited to create a video set, and a companion workbook. The goal of AEC is to lessen pain disability and health distress of people with arthritis. AEC will teach people with arthritis, ages 45 and older, how to exercise with arthritis to reduce pain and motivate them to adopt exercise and other self-management techniques.
The aims of Phase I are to determine the beliefs about arthritis and exercise held by people with arthritis and to develop and validate the content and message for the series and workbook. Phase I research will include: key informant interviews, creative plan development, board of advisor review/creative plan revision, and focus group testing. Phase I of AEC will use qualitative and quantitative research designs that will consist of key informant interviews and focus group testing with some quantitative testing. AEC will develop and apply an innovative format that combines traditional exercise instruction and documentary clips to address psychosocial issues and motivate people with arthritis. This innovative format will offer instructional and emotional support.
The television broadcast will be offered to network, cable, and public television stations. American Public Television, a major content provider to PBS stations, has already expressed interest in AEC. The video set and workbook will be distributed through physicians, health professionals, and organizations that serve people with arthritis. State of the Art has successfully marketed many other patient education materials to this market and already has contacts and established relationships to assist in the marketing. The market for products for people with arthritis is large. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States and is projected to affect nearly 60 million people in 2020. There is currently no broadcast exercise show for people with arthritis on the air.
